Honeymoon - A Maui Destination Wedding

I would like to discuss some of the advantages of a Maui destination wedding. These advantages include greater freedom, flexibility and financial control.

Planning a wedding in your home town will most likely mean that many family members and friends are going to want to help you plan it, unlike planning a Maui wedding. Chances are they might have some strong opinions, too. And, can you say "no" to your finance's mother who insists on paying for a cigar bar at your reception, while you happen to loathe cigars?

Planning for a wedding afar, especially to a premium destination such as Maui, changes all that. You can blithely say, "Oh, my wedding planner already booked us a smoke-free venue," or... you might not even invite anyone except your fiancé - something you can get away with in Hawaii, but not at the country club at home. The Beaverton relatives despise the Campanos' family - no problem. They can work it out while watching your wedding on Maui on streaming video at home and you won't have to witness the drama.

On the other hand, if you love the idea of having Mom, mother-in-law-to-be and six bridesmaids planning the whole affair, invite them and they can help out strewing petals and making shell centerpieces. Along this same vein, say you have long fantasized a bridal processional preceded by six Tahitian drummers in flowered loin cloths on a dream Maui beach. If you wanted to do this at home, and could even find the Tahitian drummers, what would Aunt Mildred say? In Pittsburgh, probably a lot. On Maui, she would just shrug and say "well, I guess 'when in Rome...'" She might actually love it, especially after a mai tai or two.

Because it is much easier to control the guest list in a destination wedding, it is easier to control the spending. You won't be expected to invite everyone you know or your sister knows, and even if you do, they won't all come. Because of the distance involved, people have to make a real effort and commitment to come to your Maui destination wedding, and only the ones who really want to be there will come. And, that's good. You probably won't get cousin Ed's former dorm mates, who are only looking for free drinks and cut bridesmaids. Another financial bonus is numerous, beautiful free Maui wedding sites.

So, in conclusion, a destination wedding in Maui or other lovely exotic locales will allow you more fun and freedom to plan the wedding of your dreams. You will likely save money, which you can use to hire a helicopter to escape to a different Hawaiian island, fleeing friends and family who do follow you after the wedding. And, they will be find, swimming, surfing, para gliding and trying to find the phone numbers of those Polynesian drummers.

How to be Creative on Wedding Invitations

Wedding invitations are one of the few pieces of mail that people enjoy receiving. It’s fun to open up that envelope knowing there’s a custom invitation inside. But amidst all of today’s junk mail, how can you make your envelope stand out to get your guests’ attention?

There are actually several ways you can make your mailing envelope as unique as your wedding invitation.

• Shape - With so many wedding invitation designs available today, you could easily select a uniquely shaped style such as square or tea length. The mailing envelope will then reflect that same distinctive size to fit the invitation.
  
  
• Style - Another option is to select a Seal and Send wedding invitation style. This all-in-one invitation is designed to be folded into a self-mailing piece eliminating the need for a mailing envelope. The response card is attached to the invitation so it can be easily detached by your wedding guest along the perforation. This also eliminates the response card return mailing envelope and saves on your postage cost as it only requires a postcard stamp.
  
  
• Color - How about using color for emphasis? Some wedding invitations now come with colored mailing envelopes. In particular, self-mailer invitations often include a colored envelopment. The envelopment holds your invitation card and has a built-in pocket for keeping any extra enclosures. It is then folded up wrapping around all your invitation pieces to become your mailing envelope.
  
  
• Decorative Seals - Adding a seal to your wedding invitation envelope could be that extra touch you’ve been looking for. Even though your envelope is sealed, you can choose to place a special seal on the back so it gives the illusion that the seal is actually holding the flap down. There are many seal design choices, from monograms to first names to specific themes. Their appearance can be clear, white, silver, gold, embossed, etc.
  
  
• Custom Wedding Stamps - There are now websites that offer you the option of creating your own personalized postage stamps using an uploaded photo or choosing from ready-to-use wedding designs. This is a great way to dress up your wedding invitation envelopes to reflect your personal style.

You want to be sure your wedding invitation gets the attention of your guests as soon as it arrives in their mail and that it doesn’t get lost in their sea of junk mail and bills. Using any of the above suggestions will surely accomplish this and will start building their excitement even before they see your actual invitation.